Era : Early 1970s Trend : Ethnic clothes Impact on fashion trend or history: There was no acute impact or revolution in fashion trends, as result the popular trends in late 1960s continued into 1970s. Much of hippie style had been integrated into mainstream American society by the early 1970s. The Mexican peasant blouses, tunic and Indian fabrics were still popular. The Also, the seventieth was a individualism decade. Everyone could wear anything anywhere so that the first phase of early 70s was a period of confusion in fashion trend.
Cause : Black power in early 1970s The American Civil Rights movement in the early 1970s leaded the African American began embracing their heritage, ethnic fashions gained popularity. Many blocks adopted traditional African style such as dashikis, afros, corn rows. The dashikis and corn rows had moved into the mainstream in mid-1970s and were worn by white as well. People focus on the East The magazine was focus on the eastern such as “In February 1972 Vogue’s spotlight was on China. In June Vogue said : ’Go East!Collect flowers of Japanese culture. ’”( Influence of Japanese designers Another young Japanese designer - Kenzo Takada had strong influence on fashion starting from mid-1970s.
His layered look influenced to peasant and called ‘ethnic ‘clothes later. Distinctive movement of fashion In early 1970s, many designers revolt against the status quo in society such as Karl Lagerfeld, Laura Ashley. The distinctive movement of fashion which in the 1970s, was to find its new trends well away from any adaptation or revival of past lines or look.Instead there were moves towards the ethnic, to the adoption of eastern trends, of peasant styles from far places, garments unknown to western fashion such as djellabhs, caftans, flowing tunics. Influence in Hippie fashion The hippie fashion of early 1970s, had brought the clothes of other ethnic groupings that had often never even been seen before in the west.
Nehru jackets and loose flowing robes from hot countries made their way to world cities. By the helped of designers like Yves St Laurent, the ethnic clothes permeated down to mainstream fashion in mid-1970s.Style : Layered peasant look, Westernwear and caftans, kaftans, kimonos, muumuus, djellaba (a Moroccan robe with a pointed hood) or jalabiya (a loose eastern robe) and other styles from every part of the Indian sub continent and Africa, were translated into at home style robes and comfort wear. They were worked in every fabric imaginable, but were especially suited as glamour dressing when sewn in exotic fabrics and edged in silver, gold or other metallic embroidered trims.
Every type of ethnic image set a trend. Shilhouettes : wung and flared away from the body hiding the waist Items : Indian cotton voile dresses, quilted jackets, flared and bell bottom trousers, Cheesecloth clothes, Real blouses began to appear beneath short bell, or just above elbow knitwear, crochet waistcoats, Gypsy tops, Tibetan and Chinese quilted jackets and square armhole waistcoats, in mix and match prints, softly pleated skirts, peasant style skirts Colors : vivid and striking bright pinks, sea greens and wonderful shades of cornflower blues, tiny pink or baby blue and white checks Details :Afghan coats which were decorated and embroidered and bordered in fur, Sheepskin fur cuffs, front bands gave a romantic Russian look to clothes, eyelets with lacing, oversized ric rac braid with false bib parts of blouses, lower sleeves became fuller and fuller or left opened as an angel sleeve, edging of the sleeve was the bordered fabric used in the main body of the garment, Gypsy tops with drawn up necklines trimmed with bells and puffed sleeves Fabrication : cotton voile, chiffons, Broderie Anglaise, tiny pink or baby blue and white checks Prints:Oriental print, cotton voile dresses overprinted in gold by Phool, richly patterned and border print on fabrics, stylised patchwork print effects, mix and match prints Hairstyle : mustaches, beards and long hair Accessories : Hand braided bracelets with fine strips no wider than 6mm and made from colored yarn, Foul smelling untreated bags, hats with frog fastenings, Indian silk scarves, Macrame bags and bikinis from the Greek Isles, shawls from Spain Designers : Roy Halston Frowick The most influential American designer of the time, Roy Halston Frowick (known simply as Halston), belonged to the latter category.Acquiring celebrity status on the New York scene, his particular talent was in reconciling the made-to-measure garment for the special occasion with concepts of comfort, naturalness, and relaxation. With his kaftans, shirtwaisters, djellabas, ultra-lightweight shift dresses, and tunics worn over shorts and wide-legged pants, he was an icon of the era, and a regular visitor at the VIP room of the Studio 54 after its opening in 1977 Halston : 1970s Red & Black reversible cape & Green Goddess Kenzo Takada He born in1939 in Japan.
He joined a fashion school in 1958 and settled in Paris in 1964.His success started in 1970. His first show in this year and his collection also presented I New York and Tokyo in 1971. He was to have a strong influence on fashion from the mid-1970’s to 1980’s. He introduced fuller, wider skirts, deep wide kimono sleeves, squared- up shoulders.
His knitwear was based on full, loose kimonos. He featured shawls and layered looks. He innovated the layered look and gave some the appearance of a prosperous pre-revolutionary peasant. During the next two years layered clothes with strong peasant influences continued.
They were sometimes called “ethnic” clothes. Ralph LaurenStarted with the tie business in 1967 and under the label Polo. Then he broadened Polo to include a menswear range and established women’s wear in 1971. In 1974, he provided men’s clothes for movie “The Great Gatsby”, starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, all of which come from the current Polo line.
Also, he provided the clothes for Woody Allen and Mia Farrow in Allen’s movie Annie Hall, starting a trend for eclecticism with men’s and women’s clothing used in a classic trendy, vintage mix decided by the individual wearer. In 1978, he launched Westernwear for men and women, based on authentic Western look.Hailed as the man who ‘recapture America for America’ it rebuffs the erroneous impression of Ralph Lauren’s fashion was too Birtish. Yves St Laurent He born in 1936, was trined under Dior. He opened his own house in 1962 after leaving Dior. The revival of woman’s suit was one of main features of fashion from the later1970’s.
He sought his inspiration everywhere – even from peasant look - the luxurious “Ballet Russes”collection in 1976 and it became very influential and being an important trend. Yves Saint Laurent : Russian Jacket (below) in 1976 Russian collection Duration : Mid-1970s –late 1970s Why it vanished :It became as subculture while the Disco became popular in late 1970s and all styles of clothing were affected by the disco style. Every type of ethnic image in mid-1970s are popular and many designers designed the clothes for this trend. See the photos as below : Some of the the most popular elements of the early 1970s fashions were the caftan, either full length or as a tunic top; the halter neckline and the peasant girl folkloric effect. The flowing caftan (often called a Kaftan) with generous wide sleeves and covering roominess was almost always trimmed with metallic braid, contrast fabric or gold embroidery.Folkloric peasant styling was used with traditional Swiss/Austrian style embroidered braid finishing off garment edges.
Eyelet laced belts tied up with shoelace fine ties or satin rouleaux drew on folkloric elements found not only in Europe, but also in India. This red long dress of 1971 shown right, has a peasant style eyelet and string tie belt. The exotic tropical print was also a very strong fashion fabric of the early 1970s era. Flower power at the most striking level of design. [pic] [pic] 1970s Patchwork Coat Handwoven: 1970s Coat [pic]
